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Crystal Palace Fan View: Second-half rally not enough to rescue point

Giroud & Chelsea really ought to have stretched the lead further than they did in the first half
Giroud & Chelsea really ought to have stretched the lead further than they did in the first half
Crystal Palace should have been out of the game by half time

As Olivier Giroud was withdrawn in the last 20 minutes of the game, he wore a bemused look on his face. He was rightly amazed that he’d failed to score against Crystal Palace in what was a chance-laden game. Giroud swung and missed at a chance in the opening few minutes of the game while just six yards out, had one cleared off the line and struck the post.

But fail to score he did, and his struggles in front of goal were a microcosm of Chelsea’s after they raced into a two-goal lead. Things were looking ominous for Crystal Palace, we were being undone by the intricacy and pace of Chelsea’s attacks and the two-goal difference could have been four by half time, even if both of Chelsea’s goals did come with a huge slice of fortune attached.

The delicate state the game remained in was largely down to the heroics of James Tomkins, who denied Chelsea on two separate occasions. First he cleared off the line from Giroud after he dived to get something on it, then after half time he threw his body in the way of Willian’s effort that looked destined to finish in the back of the net. Heroics aside though, Chelsea made hard work of things and the second half ought not to have even been a contest.

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Zaha’s introduction gives reason for optimism

While Crystal Palace looked destined to concede with every attack Chelsea threw at us in the first half, in the second we got some bite of our own. Wilfried Zaha’s introduction was undeniably a factor, but it also gave us a glimpse of what we could see from the whole team now he’s back in contention after injury.

AS IT HAPPENED: Chelsea v Crystal Palace

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For the first time this season really, we have the depth to drop Christian Benteke if necessary. That’s what happened in the second half against Chelsea, Zaha provided width we hadn’t really had in the first period and Sorloth led the line alone. His performance was encouraging too, he tucked a chance away from a free-kick (that was wrongly disallowed) and struck the post.

Lack of availability has made Benteke undroppable so far this season. If our second half performance is anything to go on, a change to that is no bad thing.

Alexander Sorloth had a goal wrongly disallowed for a non-existent foul, robbing Crystal Palace of the chance to test Chelsea in the last 10 minutes
Alexander Sorloth had a goal wrongly disallowed for a non-existent foul, robbing Crystal Palace of the chance to test Chelsea in the last 10 minutes
Refereeing decision robs us of the chance of a point

VAR is not a perfect system, but yesterday Crystal Palace were robbed of the chance to set up a grandstand finish and nick a valuable point on the road by an incorrect decision. The foul was given for Jairo Reidewald’s “challenge” on Gary Cahill and while I understand why the referee has given it, it doesn’t make the decision any less wrong.

Riedewald raises his foot to challenge for the second ball, sees Cahill stooping to head the ball and plants his foot back on the ground by the time Cahill connects. It’s not a foul, it’s not dangerous, he hasn’t even challenged Gary Cahill for the ball. In giving that decision it the referee has taken away a perfectly legitimate goal that could have provided us with the momentum to go on and grab a second (and let’s not forget we scored after the disallowed goal). Shocking.